


I Knew I Love

by seaofolives



Series: Fire & Steel Playbook [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, POV Ignis Scientia, Pre-Relationship, Song Lyrics, Songfic, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 08:35:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27348250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaofolives/pseuds/seaofolives
Summary: What will you do if someone comes claiming your special place? Worse, if he gets stuck with you in it?
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Series: Fire & Steel Playbook [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1979386
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	I Knew I Love

As the princeʼs most trusted advisor, Ignis Scientia was known to be many things: he was intelligent, he was a fast-learner, he was patient and quite skilled in many things and he had spectacular taste, as well. On top of that, he was well-mannered and devoted to the Crown, his duties and his charge. 

If anyone had heard what he was thinking at that exact moment, though, they may find themselves in certain doubt: _Once I get myself out of here, that Noct had better start praying._

As it stood, however—or sat—it would be some time yet before he could execute his revenge plot. On his way up to the hidden balcony where he was supposed to meet the prince, his fine leather shoes had slipped on a weak branch and forced his ankle in an awkward way. It was just to his luck that he had the reflexes of a cat and a monkey combined and managed to transfer himself safely from the aged tree to the stone platform. 

Imagine his indignation when he realized that he was alone and the prince was nowhere in sight. He even tried to look through the classic window behind him, into an empty room, to see if he was there but alas. All his calls to the prince had also been blocked off. 

Since then, heʼd been massaging his poor ankle, back to the wall next to him, and fuming. It was quiet enough in that ignored area of the Citadel that he could hear nothing but the angry muttering of his thoughts. 

That, and an approaching visitor. 

Ignis snapped to the overhanging tree to his right, those deep green leaves shaking steadily harder as his visitor approached. His heart soared—could it be that Noct hadnʼt meant to stand him up, after all? 

Except…wait, didnʼt Noct prefer to warp to the balcony while he took the long, arduous way up? 

His answer appeared soon enough, putting one foot down the balustrade just as he drew closer to the canopy. The man was dressed in a Crownsguard uniform. 

He stopped when he finally noticed that there was someone else in the balcony, amber eyes first going wide before those thick brows dropped to a severe angle. 

“Um…” Gladio started, frowning deeply. “You were lookinʼ for me?” He was? 

Ignisʼ own brows flew up at that claim. “I donʼt believe I was but did I leave you a message or a dropped call?” Maybe in his haste? But his phone was already old, he should have gone shopping for a new one two weeks ago but where would he find the time? So maybe his phone sent Gladio something without his knowing? 

“No.” Gladio sounded irritated. Not the answer he was looking for, then. Expertly, he wove his way out of the thick canopy and onto the balcony. Heʼd done this before, Ignis realized. “But this is my space,” he claimed, dusting down his Crownsguard uniform and the insulated lunch bag he brought along. “Howʼd you find it?” _His space?_

Ignis opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it. In reality, of course, and legally, this space belonged to neither of them, being a property of the royal family. But in fact—! 

“Why, Iʼve known this place since I was 8,” Ignis challenged him, keeping his tone of voice even. There was no need to be arrogant when he knew heʼd won. “Noct and I come here regularly when he needs to breathe.” 

His triumph came in the form of Gladioʼs pouty frown and shifting feet. “Oh.” A word he forced out of his chest. “Yeah?” He glanced at the leaves from whence he came. “Well…my bad, then. Sorry.” 

Ignis couldnʼt believe his eyes when he saw that Gladio was about to step off the balcony, back into the treeʼs embrace. “Seriously, youʼre just going to leave me here?” Maybe there was a bit of panic in that voice. 

Gladio looked back to him, past his shoulder. He looked disappointed and a little impatient, maybe irritable. Ignis suddenly felt guilty all of a sudden. 

But then those features sharpened and he started towards Ignis. “You got injured?” 

“You didnʼt notice the sagging branch on your way up?” Ignis sighed. 

“I did, so I didnʼt touch it,” Gladio replied, kneeling down beside him. Ignis wanted to scoff. Of course he would. It figured that with his training and his instincts, he would be better at this than him. Stupid Amicitia. “Hold still. Iʼm gonna remove your shoe and your sock.” 

**_1230H_ **

“So how did you come to know about this place?” 

Gladio smirked at the question. “Oh you know me,” he answered. As if that was supposed to explain anything. 

Ignis bit back a surly breath, frowning as he watched him roll his pants leg back from his injury. Before that, heʼd propped his foot on his lap to give it some elevation. 

Gladio went on once he started to explore the state of his ankle. “I was 11, it was schoolbreak.” That still meant Ignis had 2 years on him. “Mom and Iris were in a childrenʼs party so Dad took me along to show me around the office, the barracks. After that, he went to a long meeting and I got bored so I went exploring and found this place.” A long sigh escaped him as he brought his shoulders to the concrete surface behind him. “It looked a lot better back then, though. Remember?” He pointed to the wall in front of them, across the balustrade, where vines had crawled. “That thing wasnʼt there yet.” 

“Indeed,” Ignis agreed, leaning his head to the window on his side. “This whole place used to be a garden, with a winding stone pathway that led into a bridge looking over a small pond.” 

“Then that pond disappeared, then the bridge.” Gladio quirked up his lips, chest bouncing at the memory. “And now everythingʼs just dirt and grass and,” he tossed his hand forward, “a wall. Ainʼt much to look at now but,” he shrugged, “what can you do? An escapeʼs an escape. When I need to recharge, get my thoughts together, I come here. ‘cause itʼs quiet, and hidden.” He popped his brow at Ignis. “Least thatʼs what I thought.” 

Ignis smiled cheerily at him. He still wasnʼt sorry. “So what are you running from today?” 

Gladio snorted, twisting his face into an ugly look. “My dad.” He unzipped his lunch bag and pulled out a liter bottle of water from within. “Tells me to observe the new recruits and then punishes me ‘cause I missed out on the arms inspection. Shouldʼve just cut my time with the recruits, he said. Iʼm like,” after a quick gulp, he stuffed his bottle back in his lunch bag, “if youʼre just gonna make me half-ass an order, then fucking donʼt give it! I thought we were supposed to give our best at everything?” 

“True,” Ignis sympathized, rather amused with Gladioʼs vehemence. “In the end, we must be certain of the job we delivered or it will come to bite us back.” 

“‘xactly!” Gladio huffed, slumping onto the wall again. “Sometimes, I think no one hereʼs ever heard of quality over quantity.” 

“Iʼm afraid itʼs easy to forget that when you are being measured by nothing but numbers and mathematics,” Ignis pondered out loud. “Weʼve all been there.” 

Gladio rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Then he jutted his chin at Ignisʼ direction. “You? That why youʼre here? Thought this was your and Noctʼs spot?” 

This time, it was Ignis who sighed. “Would you believe he tricked me into coming up here?” 

“Huh?” 

Ignis patted the lunch jar by his side. “He said he wanted honey-glazed chickatrice wings for lunch and to meet him here.” He let the sweep of his hand explain the rest of the story. 

Gladio winced. “What the hell did you do, anyway?” 

“Prohibited him from joining a coop with his friends until he finished the draft of his physics paper.” Ignis sighed deeply again. “I should have been suspicious of how serious he was as he worked on it.” 

Gladio grinned despite his ill fate. “Donʼt get mad at him, though. Heʼs just doing what I taught him to do.” When Ignis glared at him, he explained: “Use your enemyʼs strength to your advantage and turn it into their weakness.” 

“Oh—” Ignis scowled at his assessment, and Gladio laughed. 

**_1352H_ **

As soon as he and Gladio had cracked open their lunch boxes at once, the older man appreciated the selection with a long, “Ooooh.” Ignisʼ container had six pieces of glazed wings arranged in a symmetrical circle while Gladioʼs was filled with a yellow mound of egg in the middle and some sausages around it, cut up like octopi. “You sure youʼre gonna share that?” Aside from the lunch, in a span of nearly an hour and a half, he and Gladio had learned to share the balcony which they once claimed as theirs. 

“Well, I canʼt finish all of them.” Using his spoon and fork as a pincer, Ignis transferred three pieces of wings onto Gladioʼs overturned lid while the other man cut his mound in two. He handed his container when it was asked of him. “I also brought some spicy roasted sweet potato wedges in the other container.” 

“Noct eats potatoes?” Gladio raised a brow at him while he carefully transferred one half of his lunch next to Ignisʼ. He coughed quietly and sniffled. “I mean the unfried ones? That are sweet?” 

“Well, I was hoping to try with this one.” After Gladio had shared some of his sausages, too, Ignis reclaimed his lunch and accepted the packet of ketchup his friend handed to him. “You donʼt put ketchup on your omelette rice?” 

Gladio wrinkled his nose when he shook his head. “I donʼt really like saucestuff when Iʼm eating out like this. I find it too messy.” He cut up a piece of his lunch and devoured his first scoop. “Probably our new maid put this bag together. Thatʼs why she didnʼt know.” A new maid. 

Oh, to be rich. “Well,” Ignis tore the packet open, then, and drew zigzag lines over his omelette with it, “donʼt mind if I do.” 

For some time, then, they ate in silence, enjoying their food. It had started to rain, then, see, and they agreed that it would be dangerous for Ignis to come down a wet tree on an injured leg. So rather than sit unproductively in the balcony, they might as well feed themselves while they waited out the rain. 

“Gladio—” Ignis tutted at the man who passed him his last two pieces of sausages. Despite them splitting up their lunches equally, see, Gladio had made sure that he never ran out of the little octopi, quick to drop another one or two in his lunchbox as soon as heʼd consumed his last. “Please, youʼve given me everything.” 

Gladio showed off his empty container, letting the clean bones slide as he did so. “Iʼm out,” he said with the last of his omelette rice in his mouth. He opened up his bottle and took a modest gulp, then passed it to Ignis. “Thanks for the lunch, though. Those wings were the bomb.” 

“Thanks, as well, for the surplus of sausages,” Ignis chuckled, taking the bottle. He drank down a mouthful, then handed it back. “This is actually my favorite brand.” 

“Itʼs good, right?” Gladio grinned. They began to pack up. “By the way, what happened to the plushie I gave ya?” 

It took Ignis one full second before he remembered what Gladio was talking about. “Do you mean the stuffed coeurl you won off the claw machine?” he chuckled, locking the outer cap onto his lunch jar. “If you are wondering if she is still alive, then breathe easy. Iʼd just given her a bath yesterday.” 

“Oh ‘sheʼ?” Gladio grinned at his revelation, teeth sparkling. “My behemothʼs a girl, too.” Put it that way, Ignis almost thought that Gladio seemed proud they lucked out on getting the same sex. “Sheʼs called Igerna, and she loves singing.” 

That made Ignis laugh, shoulders jumping in delight. “Good for her,” he said with approving nods. “Mine is Amica and she enjoys reading.” 

“Aw…” 

“Why did you ask all of a sudden?” 

“Dunno, it just,” Gladio shrugged, “occurred to me, yʼknow?” They each got the stuffed toy following a Saturday seminar hosted by _Culless Munitions_ one month ago. Ignis found out about it through an advertisement online, alerted Gladio of it, then agreed to take advantage of their promo. Buy 1, get the second ticket at a discount. On their way to Ignisʼ apartment after the event, they passed by a newly opened arcade. 

“Hey, cool!” Gladio had said, stepping right in. Then he found the colorful claw machine and started digging for coins in his hoodie. 

“You know these things are rigged, right?” Ignis sighed, watching him feed them through the slot. 

“Yeah, thatʼs whatʼs great about ‘em.” Gladio was grinning. “Pick an animal.” There were lots of colorful dual horns, two kinds of garulas, three kinds of chocobos, a moogle, a catoblepas, a zu… 

Ignis pointed at the first coeurl he saw and watched Gladio set to work. Instantly, he knew he knew what he was doing. Never too eager with the levers, simply guiding them with his fingers as he watched the clawʼs motions with furrowed brows… 

Heʼd been quite taken by surprise when the exact coeurl he pointed at had been dropped into the chute. He caught it off the air when Gladio had tossed it. Before he could stop himself, he gasped at the man pushing more coins into the flawed machine, “Teach me!” 

After he played for Irisʼ moogle, he taught him. It took Ignis three tries before he got the technique—aim for the chest and arms, go for the toy that seemed less obstructed, pay attention to how tightly the pit was packed, how wildly the claw jiggled… 

Ignis tossed him the behemoth as payment for his lessons and his coeurl. “Now we each have one,” heʼd said as Gladio grinned and inspected the tag on the toyʼs tail, where her name and likes were listed. That coeurl had been sitting on his writing desk since—she loved to read, he placed her near his books. 

**_1502H_ **

“Maybe we should have gone down earlier, after all…” 

Gladio sighed, craning his head out to the rain from where he stood by the barrier. “You think?” There was good thinking for Ignisʼ opinion, after all. The rain hadnʼt let up at all, but now its gentle crash was more imposing, and it had drawn a curtain all around them, sealing them from the world. 

Ignis sighed, too, and gazed at his outstretched foot. Gladio had relented and allowed him to wear his sock but only so he could keep his foot warm. But his shoe was still off, cuff still folded. “Perhaps you should have gone without me.” He frowned at himself. “I canʼt believe I never thought about that.” 

“What—” Gladio started coughing a bit as he turned to glare at Ignis. “Whatʼre you talkinʼ about? I thought you didnʼt wanna be alone?” 

“That was before the rain,” Ignis reasoned. “Iʼm thinking now…you could have gone down for help. And now both of us have missed two of our meetings and weʼre still stuck here.” From the shape of Gladioʼs lips, Ignis could tell he was right. Normally, it would have made him feel good but now was not a good time for his pride. He groaned, pulling his head back to the wall next to the window, shutting his eyes in dismay. “The princeʼs advisor…and yet Iʼm no better than the common 17-year old…” 

He opened his eyes again when he heard Gladio growl. The man was hanging his head back, too. He saw the phone in his hand and took a guess: “Your father?” 

“I wish,” Gladio went on to snarl, looking at his phone again. “My signalʼs gone.” 

Ignis straightened up in alarm. “What?” In the middle of the Citadel?! Urgently, he pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped the black screen. 

“Itʼs my network,” Gladio explained. “Some cell tower malfunctioned after the nearest Wall Amplifier emitted excessive rays—” 

“ _No!!_ ” Ignisʼ wail was a perfect match to their technological tragedy. More hysterically, he jabbed his thumb on his screen, swiped it up, crushed the buttons. 

“What is it?” Gladio shuffled towards him. 

Giving up, Ignis smacked his head onto his phone. “It died.” 

“Your phone?” Gladio took it to inspect it. Of course the results were the same despite his own ministrations. “You forgot to charge it?” 

Ignis rolled his head no where he laid it on his knee. “I charge it every morning. But itʼs an old, cheap phone. I bought it at the same time I moved to my apartment.” Gladio winced. He received it back from his friend. “Iʼve been meaning to look for a new one but I havenʼt had the time.” 

“Well, no use wishing,” Gladio sighed, looking out to the rain, a shear white veil that contained them. After a long pause which Ignis spent trying to coax his phone back to life, he asked all of a sudden, “Noct sent you here, right?”

Ignis felt a fresh sense of life when he remembered what brought him to this predicament. “Indeed,” he confirmed, snapping to Gladio. 

Gladio nodded, still weather-watching. “Then sooner or later, heʼll come out looking for us. So we just gotta wait for him or for this rain to end.” 

**_1615H_ **

The rain wasnʼt letting up yet. Probably the same reason their prince charming hadnʼt come warping to their rescue yet. 

That didnʼt mean they couldnʼt spend the time waiting miserably, though. 

“Oh shit,” Gladio started, looking electrified. “I love this song, itʼs my favorite!!” Without another beat wasted, he grabbed his phone and started pumping the volume. 

Some guitar sounds, that resembled a trumpet, and then a piano rhythm joined the rising melody with the sound of…sparkles. If that was a word one could use. 

It made Ignis smile, then laugh a bit. The overall feel of the music was definitely not the image Gladio portrayed, who was finally getting his tattoo, and liked meat and beer like any macho man, and didnʼt mind getting dirty or sweaty and was a fitness buff besides. 

“What?” Gladio laughed along with him as the words began, his own smile bright. On top of all that, the voice that sang was a woman. “Something funny?” 

Ignis shook his head…but— “No, yes, there _is_ something funny.” Because he wouldnʼt be laughing otherwise. “This song sounds more like Irisʼ cup of tea. I thought you were more into those electronica types.” If that was the right genre. He just knew he liked the bass beats, the energetic feel. 

This was only slightly like that, but otherwise very sweet and mellow. _Just like Gladio,_ he thought all of a sudden, stunning himself. 

“Well…” Gladio scratched the back of his short hair. Ignis nudged his glasses. “I just…I just thought the lyrics are nice, okay? I mean…you know Iʼm into books, right?” 

“Yes.” Ignis nodded. 

“So I like words…” Aw. “A, anyway, listen to this! Hereʼs the chorus.” He boosted the volume further for Ignisʼ enjoyment. 

A warm, charmed smile spread on Ignisʼ face after the chorus passed. “ _I knew I’d fall in love with you, the day we first met,_ ” he repeated the first lines. It wasnʼt groundbreaking per se but he supposed there was something timeless about the notion. 

“Yeah, but, the way she puts it is really unique and heartfelt, yʼknow? Like…” That enthusiasm, his gesticulations, they stopped all of a sudden when Gladio glanced at him with round coffee eyes. 

Then he stopped again and scratched his ear. “I, I canʼt explain it. I just really like it, okay?” He looked so bashful, resembling his 12-year old self with the roses up his cheeks. 

How he must look, gazing out to the old garden that young. Ignis laughed again, falling to the window glass. The chorus lines started again, the womanʼs voice full of love. “Whatʼs the title of this song?” 

“Um…” Gladio looked shyly at him. “ _I Knew I Love_...by Joan Mead.” 

Ignis nodded. “Iʼll remember that. Thank you for sharing this song with me.” 

“O, oh?” Gladio straightened up a little again. “But…you donʼt listen to music…” 

“Well, no…” Ignis admitted, and now it was his turn to feel a bit embarrassed because apparently, _that_ was weird. “But…once in a while, I might find the inclination to switch on the radio, I suppose…” 

“Yeah?” Gladio beamed. “When that happens, let me know what station youʼll listen to. I wanna hear the songs youʼll like.” He would—

Ignis felt his cheeks burn. He was flustered. But…the idea of sharing something transient across the distance was… 

Not…unlikable… 

“Well,” he hazarded a smile, “I suppose I will need someone to teach me the ropes of listening to music…” 

**_1745H_ **

“So then, the chosen knight,” Gladio cleared his throat, “finally, she reveals to the Oracle that even if she had the body of a man, she had a womanʼs soul all this time.” 

“Oh dear,” Ignis gasped softly. “You said that was tantamount to dishonesty and grounds for dismissal in their land.” 

“Yeah!” Gladio grinned, waving a finger at him. “Right? See, thatʼs whatʼs so great about this book! Everyone starts out looking like theyʼre wrong, but then you see how they disprove that. Like, this Oracle is the most beautiful, kindest, smartest person in the land but she says—” He slashed his hand in the air. “So what if youʼve been a woman in a manʼs body since you were born? My feelings are still the same and,” he cleared his throat, “you know, just the way the author wrote it, itʼs—” Ignis would have to wait after the latest string of coughs had subsided. 

This time, Ignis didnʼt let Gladio stop him. He grabbed his lunch bag, tore it open and pulled out his bottle of water. Then he uncapped it and shoved it to his friend. Gladio had no choice then but to drink. Another timid mouthful. Ignis sighed. “Drink more.” 

“I donʼt wanna keep peeing,” Gladio reasoned, screwing it shut. 

“Youʼre sick!” Ignis snapped, louder than the distant rumbling thunder, or the persistent hush of rain. “Donʼt think I havenʼt been noticing. You cough, you clear your throat, you sniffle.” 

Gladio pointed to their watery curtain and explained his illness away with, “Weather.” 

“That changes nothing,” Ignis persisted. “You still need to take care of yourself.” Then he groaned and dropped his head. “This is all my fault. If it werenʼt for me, you wouldnʼt be stuck here with me. Finding ways to keep me entertained.” 

“Hey, this is my space, too, right?” Gladio reminded him. He sounded kind, and Ignis could easily tell that he wanted to hear his sincerity, even though his voice sounded like it was fighting against his throat and chest. “Besides, as if I could leave you here on your own.” 

Still not enough to satisfy Ignis. And to repay the manʼs honesty and inconvenience, he didnʼt hide his pouting and discontent. “Let me at least take care of you. I am still somewhat to blame, after all.” 

“Sure thing,” Gladio relented easily, then warned him with a finger. “But donʼt forget, youʼre injured. So donʼt push yourself. If you do,” he shook the water bottle, still a little more than half full, “I ainʼt finishing this.” What a threat. 

Like he left Ignis much of a choice. So he nodded. “Very well. I accept your terms.” At least, he wouldnʼt be stubborn against his care. 

**_1911H_ **

After the third run of his dagger along the frame of the wide window pane, the old glass finally gave and fell backwards. 

“Oh—” Stupidly, Ignis tried to catch it, hand sweeping at the air. “Oop—!” 

The glass shattered upon meeting the dusty floor inside the empty room. 

Gladio peered at the result of his actions. “Well…the good news is that the floor is solid. The bad news is that…” He turned to Ignis. “You’ll make a shitty burglar.” And for that, he earned a sharp elbow on his side. 

They crawled in carefully after Gladio had swept the glass shards aside and Ignis had laid down his vest on the crash site to protect their hands and knees. “Okay,” Gladio went in first so he could crouch and give his back to Ignis. “Climb onto me.” He coughed. 

As soon as Ignis was latched safely onto his shoulders, he carried him to the corner of the room and the window, following Ignisʼ direction. “Do you have any tape or adhesive?” Ignis asked as he settled on the cold ground. He shuddered. If they could just fasten his vest to the open window like a curtain… 

Gladio started to undo his top. “Unfortunately no. Why?” He shrugged it off. 

“I was just thinking—” Ignisʼ eyes widened to see him down to his tank top. He crossed his arms along his chest when Gladio laid his uniform over him. “No! Gladio!” 

“Hey, itʼs clean.” 

“You need to stay warm!” Ignis snapped at him, refusing to touch the jacket based on some childish notion that if he held it, he had to take it. Instead, he pushed it away with his elbows. “Please, I have sleeves on. Remember our deal.” 

Gladio sighed and retrieved his uniform, slipping it on again. “Here, have these instead.” He pulled out his gloves and handed them to Ignis. 

If he refused this much, they could come to a disagreement, Ignis thought. It was critical for him that Gladio wasnʼt given a reason to abandon himself so he had to make an effort to show him he was listening. Ignis thanked him and put on the gloves. 

He showed the exposed thumb to his friend, bending it up and down. “For what little help it gives.” He snickered behind his grin when Gladio rolled his eyes. 

This was the first time theyʼd ever made it past the borders of the balcony (a new secret place for the both of them) so they took their time exploring it in detail. The wallpaper had aged badly, now a deep maroon with faded gold damask, but having been sealed off from nature, it was still somewhat preserved. Even the concrete ground was dustless. 

Gladio stood to his left, swiping his hand over the empty mantel and then peering inside the cold fireplace. “Not a single coal in sight,” he sighed, standing up. “What _did_ this place used to be?” 

Ignis looked around again. “Judging from the shadows along the walls and the ceiling, it must have been a sitting room of sorts.” He pointed upwards. Gladio followed. “See that circle and the hole? A chandelier must have once hung from there.” He directed their attention to their sides next. “And around us, paintings.” 

“You mean the square lines.” Gladio wandered to the one close to them. 

“Correct.” Ignis pointed next to the doorway—though all that was left of it was space enough for a single man to fit through walking sideways—if it hadnʼt been walled off, that is. “The door frame looks elaborate, and then there is the window which must have once been a pair of doors. If the balcony looked out to the garden…” He rested his elbows on his good knee. “Then perhaps this was a room where they received and entertained guests.” 

“Must have been before King Morsʼ time, then,” Gladio whistled, scanning the room again. “If itʼs gotten this ignored. Besides, theyʼre still using cement for everything. Means it ainʼt stylish to think cheap.” 

“Too bad we must live with their decisions,” Ignis sighed, sinking his chin to his knee. “I worry it will only be colder as the night deepens. Is there really no way we can get the fireplace going?” 

Gladio turned to the dead fireplace again. He hummed. “Fire, huh…?” Then he stomped on the floor. Satisfied with his assessment, he shrugged off his top again. Ignis almost snarled. “I need a dagger.” 

After Ignis passed him one, he disappeared out into the balcony again. Before he knew it, he could hear the leaves rustling, the branches snapping. Ignis sat up straighter when he realized what was happening. 

“Gladio!” he called to the man who started shoving branches through the window. “You canʼt overwork yourself!” 

“You kidding me?” Gladio laughed from the outside. “A good workoutʼs what you need to get your body going!” 

“Thatʼs not the recommendation for a sick person!” Ignis spat back. But anyway, he was already crawling back in and carrying the bundle of branches over to their corner. Slender ones, all of them trailing water on the floor. 

He couldnʼt stop himself from hissing at Gladio when he returned to their space. “You’re wet.” From his pocket, he pulled his handkerchief and started dabbing it on Gladioʼs face. “I told you not to push yourself.” 

“We need a fire goinʼ, Ignis.” Gladio was right, of course, but that didnʼt make Ignis any less unhappy. “Ignis.” He caught his busy hand when it climbed down to his left ear, smiling at his concern. “Iʼm fine.” 

Ignis tried to frown, but faced with that warm honey gaze, the thumping in his chest, any traces of bitterness he carried lost their power. “If…if you start feeling worse…” 

“I wonʼt,” Gladio insisted, giving him back his hand. “Now put that thing down. I need you for something else.”

He needed to make tinder while Gladio built up the coal. In other words: they were going to create a fire by themselves. 

To do that, Gladio unlocked his phone, switched out of the silent radio app and into his gallery where he showed Ignis how to create shavings from wet wood. While Ignis set to work, Gladio started with the heat source, peeling back barks and splitting branches until he had a good surface on which to cause some friction. 

After fashioning a bow out of his shoelace and a branch, he started twisting a long stick onto a flattened wood like a drill, holding onto the top with a piece of rock he found somewhere. He pulled at the bow, its string looped around the drill, as if it were a saw. In no time, smoke began to emanate from the meeting point of the wooden surfaces. Ignisʼ heart jumped. 

Carefully, Gladio dismantled his kit and poured the ashen coal carefully onto the shavings. Then putting his cheek to the cold cement, he started blowing carefully into the pile. Patiently, staying in control of the rising smoke… 

Ignis couldnʼt keep his voice to himself when he exclaimed in his excitement. The first lick of flame came through, and Gladio started feeding more tinder into it. Still blowing, still coaxing it. 

“Whoah, whoah, whoah,” Gladio stopped Ignis before he could lay three shaved sticks onto the juvenile fire, his hand out. He was laughing despite looking a little breathless. “Careful you donʼt smother it. We gotta give it room to grow.” 

To their luck, it did. And now they had a cozy campfire with which to eat their dinner. 

“That was amazing, Gladio,” Ignis commended, finally revealing his sweet potato wedges. He gave it a quick whiff to make sure that it was still good. “How did you come to learn to make a fire?” 

“I made it a part of my training for Noct,” Gladio shared, cracking open his second container. How lucky was it that Ignisʼ plan to feed Noctis had failed and that Gladio had packed both his breakfast and lunch? Now they had food and water for the night while the storm raged on. “They gave me the duty to make sure that punk stays alive so.” 

“…so you ainʼt gonna half-ass it,” Ignis attached after a pause, picking up Gladioʼs manner of speaking for effect. He broke out into a wide grin when the man threw his head back and guffawed. 

Too bad that wonderful music ended abruptly in a whooping cough. Gladio thanked Ignis for handing him his bottle and drank a good mouthful. “Sorry,” he was still laughing and coughing, though. “But that,” he waved a finger at Ignis, “was a good one.” He couldnʼt say why but Ignis felt spectacularly pleased with himself. Now he looked at his dinner. 

It was egg fried rice, topped with large prawns, mixed with corn and carrots and peas and other colorful stuff, enough to make Ignisʼ stomach grumble. 

Gladio looked almost guiltily at him, as if he felt bad for his privilege. So he offered with a hopeful smile, “Trade ya?” 

Ignis scoffed and shook his head, waving his hand. 

“No, seriously, I canʼt eat prawns.” He couldnʼt? 

Since when? “You’re allergic to shellfish?” Ignis blinked. How come he only knew this now, when theyʼd been friends much longer? 

“Yeah. Cʼmon, when was the last time you saw me eat one?” Gladio gave him his container, then, and took his potato wedges straight from his hand. Well, if he put it that way… “Besides, you can let me know if our new maid does a good job. You got better taste than me.” What an intriguing character, this new maid. Ignis doubted their long-time chamberlain Jared Hester wouldnʼt have briefed her on the preferences of his young master. 

But what did Ignis know of the works of House Amicitia? “Well,” Ignis dug his spoon into Gladioʼs dinner, “donʼt mind if I do, then.” 

**_2025H_ **

Ignis didnʼt know when heʼd fallen asleep, only that he had. 

And that he woke up in a dim place because of some sudden sound, with only a fire by his feet as his light, a surprise pile of ready tinder next to it. Some part of him understood how he had gotten there but mostly, everything felt strange. He knew he wasnʼt alone, he knew he hadnʼt brought a quilt… 

The coughing returned. Ignis sat up, mind now alert, searching the empty room for— “Gladio,” he hissed. 

Ignis removed the quilt from his front and started to get up, putting his socked foot on the ground. “Gladio—?!” 

A sharp, sudden pain burst from his ankle, stunning him out of movement. Ignis fell back to the wall with a yelp. 

“Ignis?!” The urgent voice came from outside. 

Outside! Ignis hissed, bringing his shoulders higher, as if that would make him larger and more threatening to the man who was hurriedly crawling back into the room. _In his tank top._

He glared hatefully at the quilt heʼd discarded then bared his teeth at the man crouching near to him. “You liar, I told you to take care of yourself!!” And how his voice echoed. 

Enough to make the sick man wince while he inspected his ankle. “Sorry,” he mumbled, seemingly disheartened by Ignisʼ disappointment. He gave no other excuses. 

This wasnʼt like him at all. Ignis reached to him, ignoring the throbbing pain in his ankle. “Come sit next to me,” he asked of him, voice now soft and forgiving, his heart running a little faster. Gladio obeyed without another fight and that was more worrying to Ignis than the color of Gladioʼs lips. 

If only that was the worst of it. But it wasnʼt—the manʼs skin was on fire, and he looked more tired than an entire day spent in training. 

It was the one thing Ignis feared the most. “Six gods, youʼre burning,” he gasped while he ran his hand over his damp hair, wiping the sweat from his face. Gladio breathed out heavily, resting his head on the wall. Would the cool concrete relieve him? “What were you doing out there, anyway?” He tried to keep his voice low but his rising anxiety wouldnʼt allow for it. 

“Lookinʼ for a way out,” Gladio groaned. “But the treeʼs still no good.” 

“Is it still raining hard?” 

Gladio nodded weakly, closing his eyes. “Think itʼs let up a little but I canʼt say…too dark out.” True. Even if Ignis attempted to wind his way down the tree, even with the flashlight on Gladioʼs phone, it would be far too dangerous. He had a bad ankle, he could slip, he wouldnʼt be able to see well. 

Ignis cursed himself. Of all the times he had to fall prey to the princeʼs royal ire…! 

“Come.” Ignis drew Gladio closer to him with one arm while he reached for the uniform heʼd discarded. Gladio was coughing again. It was likely he, too, would fall sick after this but that would be a problem for another time. “Lean closely to me.” Given how weak the man was, it was easy for Ignis to guide his head to his shoulder as he laid the jacket over them. His heart was racing. This was wrong, he shouldnʼt be this powerless, but now was not a time to question what was happening, why it was happening. Now was the time to act. 

Gladioʼs gloves, he gave them back to the man, as well. Then he draped his arm over his waist so that the man could shift himself into a more comfortable cuddling position, pulling Ignis closer. Ignis patted him on the back and ran his hand over his damp shirt. 

_Oh gods,_ Ignis whispered, drawing his eyes up to the empty ceiling. _What should I do?_

**_2101H_ **

In the end, he realized he couldnʼt wait for the gods to do anything when _he was there_. Except for a dead phone and a bad ankle, _Ignis was there_ and healthy and strong! 

Carefully he eased Gladio away from him, though the sick man moaned unhappily at the loss of his heat but Ignis shushed him. Fixed him so that he leaned against the wall and that his jacket wouldnʼt fall off from the front. 

Then taking his phone, Ignis braced himself on his good foot and stood up, swallowing his grunt. With one hand on the wall, socked toes near the floor, he hopped carefully towards the window. 

_Okay,_ Ignis said to himself, leaning on the wall as he coaxed Gladioʼs phone awake. His lockscreen appeared—a picture of him and Iris in one of those standees where the faces were empty and one could stick theirs through. Gladio fitted his into the smaller one, frowning sadly at Iris who took the taller one with a haughty grin. He glanced at the signal bars at the upper right side. 

Still empty. 

Ignis cursed it, but he would not be defeated by a stupid icon. He swiped up the screen. 

Glared at the dots that appeared at his behest. Gladioʼs pattern…what was it? 

He drew it from memory and welcomed himself to… 

Himself. 

Ignis stared at the screen for some confused seconds. He was looking at a picture of himself, bent over slightly and looking at the prize pit of the claw machine in deep concentration. A photo taken in secret. 

It took him back to that day one month ago. After the seminar, they visited some sponsors who had come to set up booths and bought some sandwiches from Ignisʼ favorite sausage brand which Gladio had only then known of. Then they went to the arcade where a sweet, pop ballad was playing, complete with the piano, the mellow electric guitar, the sparkling cymbals, the female voice… 

_All this time…_ Ignis choked in his emotions as he navigated to Gladioʼs call list. _All this time, and he never said anything…!_ Not even so much as a hint…had he been waiting all this time or was he just content to admire him from afar? Suffer for him, just anything to put him at ease?

He tapped the name at the top of the list. _Clarus Amicitia_ , his father. As soon as he had tried, though, the call had failed, and the empty signal bars stood proudly in its corner. 

_Stupid network,_ Ignis growled, squeezing his eyes shut as if that would keep his tears from spilling. _Stupid rain, stupid Ignis!_ All this talent, all this intelligence and not a single one of them to help the man who strove only for his comfort…! 

_Why are you crying?_ he scolded himself, rubbing the tears from his face. _Stop crying! Why are you acting like such a brat? You are a member of the princeʼs staff, do something!_ Briefly, he considered placing a call to the emergency hotline but…oh, the scandal! 

In the end, he had to accept that the most he could do was to come back to Gladioʼs side and soothe the ill man with his unworthy embrace. “Iʼm here. Iʼm sorry,” he whispered when the man moaned, drawing him closer. He rubbed his hand uselessly on Gladioʼs back. His heart felt heavy. 

“Iʼll stay,” he promised him. “Donʼt worry.” 

**_2204H_ **

Gladio had woken up briefly to cough, so Ignis took advantage of it and fed him some water, though he still would not take more than a few sips. In the silence, he thought he heard Gladioʼs stomach growl. When he asked him if he was hungry, though, he only shook his head and went back to sleeping. 

What was the use, though? It wasnʼt like they had any food left. 

_Was I expecting those sweet potatoes to contain much nutrients?_ Ignis sighed to himself as he hummed Gladioʼs favorite song to him, or tried to. Half of it, he couldnʼt remember so he just mostly sang the chorus and invented the other parts. All while he brushed Gladioʼs back, hoping to generate more warmth for him. As for the fire, it was already eating away the last of its tinder. Outside, the rain fell on with a steady hush. 

Before long, Ignis, too, fell asleep. 

**_0557H_ **

Ignis woke up with a start at the blare of sirens, something he thought was coming from the outside until he realized that the source was hiding in Gladioʼs jacket. Urgently, despite his half-sleepy state, he took the noisy phone and squinted at the empty face on the screen. 

_Clarus Amicitia_ the name read on top. Clarus was calling Gladio. 

In Gladioʼs phone! With two lines on the signal bar—!

“Captain?!” Ignis couldnʼt help but cry to the phone as soon as it was on his ear. After checking on Gladio briefly (the fever had gone down though he still preferred to curl up, pulling his jacket tighter around him), he got up and limped again to the window, not realizing that his ankle was more usable by now. 

“ _—calling you several—Ignis Scientia?!_ ” 

“Yes!!” Ignis declared in triumph, looking out the window. The rain had stopped and the skies were clear, soft morning light shining down into the world. “Iʼm with your son.” 

“ _Where were you, Linus and I have been calling you endlessly!!_ ” He couldnʼt tell if he was shouting out of relief or anger. 

Ignis didnʼt know if he wanted to cry out of relief or fear either but he forced his emotions out of his mind for now. Help had reached them and he canʼt screw this up. “I can explain everything on the way to the hospital, Sir. Do you remember the garden that used to have a bridge and a pond under it?” Clarusʼ silence was palpable. 

“ _Yes,_ ” he said. He was running. “ _Yes, I remember. At the west side?_ ” 

“Correct.” Ignis nodded. “Along the way, there is a balcony with a large tree hanging over it. Gladio and I will be waiting there. Bring a long stepladder and emergency personnel. Iʼm afraid Gladio has developed a fever overnight…”

As soon as he had apprised him of the situation, it was only a matter of time before rescue had arrived. 

Ignis was doing up Gladioʼs buttons when Clarus announced himself with a, “Gladiolus?!” 

“In here!” Ignis announced before he started to pull the weakened Gladio off the wall, fighting against his excited nerves. He had to get ahold of himself to get Gladio out of there. 

Heʼd barely managed to drop Gladio to his front when Clarusʼ footsteps echoed in the empty room, and then he was rushing to them. Out in the balcony, the voices of other people could be heard. Cor was one of them, ordering the window destroyed. 

Clarus landed on his knee right next to Ignis, those blue eyes bloodshot despite his clean appearance. He didnʼt look like heʼd managed to sleep at all. 

“It started with a persistent cough,” Ignis began to explain before he started tearing up, while Clarus pressed his hand on his sonʼs forehead and cheek. Behind him, he could hear glass shattering, metal frames snapping. “By nightfall, heʼd gotten a fever. Before that, he built us a fire despite his sickness.” 

Clarus muttered a curse under his breath and turned his back to Ignis. 

“I think perhaps, he must have overexerted himself,” Ignis somehow managed to finish without stammering while he transferred Gladioʼs heavier bulk to his father so Clarus could wear his arms like the straps of a backpack over his shoulders. “The fever has gone down this morning, though.” 

“Small comforts,” Clarus mumbled. “Help is on the way. If youʼll excuse us.” He gave him a quick nod and then he was off, racing past the servicemen that had come to rescue them, all gazing around the hidden room in wonder. 

Cor appeared not long after, while Ignis was collecting his and Gladioʼs packed meals, trying to calm his excited nerves. “Couldnʼt call for help?” If he knew the marshal less, Ignis would have considered that a sarcastic criticism. 

But he knew by now that that was just how he spoke. “Iʼm afraid my phone gave up on me at the wrong time. Gladioʼs network, on the other hand, malfunctioned with the Wall Amplifierʼs ray problem, worsened by the unending rain. A bad time for neither of us to have pins for the sim slot.” With a mighty grunt, he boosted himself up on his better foot. 

Corʼs eyes fell on his problem one, frowning deeper than his usual severe expression. “Sprained yourself?”

Ignis sighed, fixing his glasses. “My fault for being careless.” 

“When thatʼs the worst of your problems, then itʼs carelessness.” Cor offered his arm to Ignis. He would be too stupid to reject this one so he just tipped his head and accepted it. “If it isnʼt, then itʼs just something that happened along the way.” 

Which shouldnʼt have happened if heʼd been more prudent and careful, but Ignis was too tired to argue now. Heʼd had a long day and a longer night and Gladio was out there and he wanted to know what was happening to him. So he conceded, replying, “Yes, Sir,” quietly as he followed him haltingly to the open window. He needed to get out of there now. 

He needed to see Gladio. 

**_0938H_ **

He must have talked himself out of breath in the car on the way to the hospital, because as soon as he had laid down in his bed, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. 

When he woke up, some hours had passed. And he turned to his first visitor, sitting like an idiot in his chair. 

Noctis jumped when he realized he was looking at him. He looked like a rabbit that was thrown in a den of wolves, Ignis thought. 

“You werenʼt there,” Ignis reminded him. Though perhaps he might also be accusing him a little for his absence. Just a little. 

The prince sighed out and dropped his gaze again. “Yeah. I didnʼt go.” 

“Where were you?”

“At school.” Noctis pulled at one of his fringes. Anything just so he didnʼt have to look at Ignis. “But then after that, the marshal arrived to fetch me and wouldnʼt let me leave my apartment. He said they couldnʼt contact you so they heightened the security around me.” 

“Did you tell him where you sent me?” 

“I did, but…” Noctis sighed, finally looking at him, face heavy. “I guess the storm stopped them? And I wasnʼt sure you were still there, I didnʼt get anything on my phone.” 

“My phone died, Noct,” Ignis finally explained. “And so did Gladioʼs network.” 

Noctis bit his lip. “I heard.” 

“Have you been to Gladio?” Noctis nodded. “How is he?” 

“Heʼs still sleeping, but they say itʼs just the flu. Heʼll be better as soon as they get some meds in him.” 

“Heʼs only had sweet potatoes for dinner.” Ignis frowned. “And a few sips of water. Do they know that?” 

Noctis sat straighter, then nodded. “Iʼll tell them.” 

Ignis nodded back. “Good. Thank you.” 

A jarring silence fell in between them… 

“Look.” Noctis sagged again, brows curling tightly. “Iʼm really sorry I pulled that stupid prank. I didnʼt realize it would get this far. I only wanted to make you mad for a few hours but I didnʼt mean for this to happen. I hope youʼll forgive me.” For whatever it was worth, Ignis could tell he really felt sincere. He wouldnʼt use those words otherwise, or volunteer to tell the nurses that Gladio had barely had anything. 

So Ignis nodded again, forgiving him. “Eat your vegetables,” he smirked sleepily, “then weʼll talk.” 

**_1010H_ **

Not long after, the most important visitor arrived. 

Clarus Amicitia stopped him from getting up from his bed with a single gesture. Though still red in the eyes, now that his son had been attended to, he was a lot more than his usual self. Formal, composed. 

“How is Gladio, Sir?” Ignis couldnʼt stop himself as soon as Clarus had settled in the chair beside him. 

“Tired and a little dehydrated,” Clarus answered, shifting slightly to pull on his shirt. “Heʼs been diagnosed with the flu and is already receiving proper treatment for his weakness.” 

Ignis nodded, heart beating in relief. 

“And you?” 

“Better,” Ignis told him. “My ankle has been bandaged.” 

“I spoke with your uncle Linus before I came in,” Clarus shared. “He told me about your sprain. Heʼs currently in a call but heʼs here in the hospital.” 

Ignis tipped his head to him. “Thank you, Sir.” 

“Cor has also told me about what happened,” Clarus went on. “About your phones and that Gladiolus stayed to keep you company.” 

An accusation Ignis would never be proud of, no matter what he discovered in the night. With eyes low, he attempted a deep bow in his pillow. “It was my selfishness that brought your son to the hospital needlessly. I have no excuses.” 

“If you had lured Gladiolus to that secret room with full knowledge of his illness and, having orchestrated everything besides, then I will accept that conclusion and recommend you for disbarment.” Ignis almost flinched. Clarus crossed his arms over his chest. “However, that is not what you showed me. So, I will ask you: from the beginning, as factually as you can without a trace of your guilt, tell me everything that happened.” 

And here he thought that was exactly what he did. But Ignis had been tired and woozy with relief, then. How loose was his tongue when he spoke with Cor? 

No use wondering about it now. With another deep nod, Ignis took a deeper breath and began again. “I knew of that balcony since I was 8. Noct and I would often visit it if he needed to breathe from the demands of his role, and it just so happened that your son had discovered the same place when he was 11.” 

Clarus listened on with full attention, urging him to continue with subtle movements of his head. 

“That was how we came to meet in the same place,” Ignis went on. “I went up there through the tree and sprained my ankle in the process. He joined me after, looking to eat his lunch in peace. I asked him to stay due to my injury, and then it started to rain. We thought we might wait it out before we climbed down but it never let up. By nightfall, we sought shelter in the secret room where he built a fire. And then he came down with a fever.” And that was the end of that. 

“And you?” Clarus prompted. “What did you do? All I heard was what my son did.” What did he do? 

_Nothing._ The truth mocked him. Ignis had to stymie his long exhale in front of the captain and keep his face straight. It was bad enough that he was speaking to him from his pillow. Heʼd been through a stressful situation but he should be above and beyond it. He was Ignis Scientia, the most trusted advisor of the future king. If he was stupid once, he wouldnʼt be stupid now. 

“I made the tinder for the fire,” he began, “traded his dinner for mine, tried to keep him warm until I could reach you for help.” And that was all. 

Clarus nodded, slowly and ponderously. “I did feel quite at ease when I learned that you were with him,” he shared suddenly. Ignis kept a mind on his swelling heart. “And so, though you were quite involved in this incident, I must thank you for staying with him until we could find you.” 

“Sir,” Ignis said, “I only did what he did for me.” 

“And did I hear right that you had dinner?” Clarusʼ brows met. “Thatʼs rather perceptive of you both.” 

“A small miracle,” Ignis retorted, hazarding a little smile when he repeated Clarusʼ words back to him. Clarus chuckled mildly in recognition. “Though Iʼm afraid he got the shorter end of the stick. Thanks to his allergies, he had to suffice with my sweet potatoes.” 

“Hold that thought,” Clarus cut him, one finger out. He had a disturbed look about his frown, putting Ignis in a wary position. Did he say something he shouldnʼt have. “Did you say he had…allergies?” Why was he asking him?

“Yes,” Ignis answered obediently. “He told me so. Y…Sir…did you never know?” Didnʼt they eat the same meals? 

“No. What else did he tell you?” 

“He,” Ignis wondered if it was right to be suspicious but, “said he was allergic to shellfish. And that your new maid wasnʼt aware of his preferences.” He almost went on with the omelette rice and the ketchup. 

But Clarus drew his eyes upward, and let out a heavy breath as his shoulders sunk and he squeezed his eyes shut. 

Ignis had never seen the man look so deflated before…and because of that, he didnʼt know what to do. 

It took him more than a few seconds before he could regain himself, and look Ignis in the eye. “Ignis,” Clarus called him, the gentlest he had ever referred to him since he made his acquaintance. “You have caught me…at quite an astounding position. Where as his mentor, I must express my pride for his actions. But as his father…” 

Ignisʼ eyes widened when Clarus bowed to him. The captain of the Crownsguard…his superior! 

“I must apologize for them, and ask that you understand that he only did it because he had your welfare in mind.” 

“My welfare?” Ignis sat up now, eying the captain in confusion, his heart jumping in useless dread at what he was discovering. “Sir, what are you…” What was he implying? Could it be that…? 

“You see, Gladiolus,” Clarus sighed, leaning slightly back to his seat, “at an early age, has been trained to sacrifice his comfort and needs for the sake of others. Be it his sister, the prince…” He gestured to the stunned Ignis. “And now yourself.” 

He couldnʼt believe it took him this long to grasp the situation. For all his brilliant acumen… “He lied to me,” Ignis gasped. Gladiolus Amicitia had completely blindsided him. 

Clarus confirmed his discovery with a grave nod. “There is no new maid, neither is there an allergy to shellfish.” He sighed again. “You mentioned he had to suffice with your sweet potatoes. He must have come up with a story so you could not refuse him when he offered his dinner. His mind was set on your sustenance over his.” 

“So,” Ignis exhaled, full of disbelief, “so he starved himself…knowing full well he is unhealthy just so _I_ would not starve?” Did he minimize his water intake so he could leave some for him, as well? That jacket, that fire… 

“I understand that you know him well enough to answer that question yourself,” Clarus replied. “You know what kind of man he is.” The kind that would not half-ass anything. Even at his expense. 

Ignisʼ instinct was to protest—because this was wrong, this was all wrong! No one should have to suffer that much for him, _he_ was the one built for sacrifices. _Him!_ The princeʼs ever-loyal retainer who comes running at his beck and call but… 

_He_ did. This man who kept his distance but watched over him so closely. Without even letting him know… 

The protest became a huff, like a gasp of pain from the sting of his uselessness. How could he have allowed Gladio to do this? They made a deal and he let him break it right under his nose. He thought he was the smart one between them but—

_Stupid Ignis,_ he snarled to himself, squeezing his eyes shut, as if that would convince his tears to stop. _Stop crying. In front of the captain, of all people! Stop crying and act like your age!_

Clarus started to get up. “Iʼm afraid Iʼve overstayed my welcome. I do apologize for inconveniencing you—” 

“No,” Ignis choked, opening his eyes and wiping his cheeks though he kept his face averted from his superior. “Please forgive me, this is quite uncalled for—” 

“There is nothing that is uncalled about this, Ignis.” Words of comfort that came with a warm hand on his shoulder. “You must be tired after taking care of my son. In this situation, itʼs quite understandable that you cannot be the master of yourself. You are only 17 besides.” Soft and powerless? How should that justify Gladioʼs unfair sacrifice? 

He couldnʼt stop Clarus from leaving, then. Couldnʼt even bow to his back as he departed the room. As soon as the door had shut, Ignis hid his face behind his hands and finally poured out his tears. 

_Stupid Ignis,_ he chided himself. _Stupid Gladio!_

**_1639H_ **

Later that day, after his last visitor, Ignis called the nurse and asked to visit his friend. She brought him in through a wheelchair, and left when he confirmed that he could manage on his own. 

Once he was alone with Gladio, he got up to his feet and limped towards the sleeping man in his bed. His color looked better now, his lips redder. 

That was good. Ignis breathed a sigh of relief as he observed him, pressing his hands to his bedside for balance. Judging from the rise and fall of his chest, the shape of his brows, Gladio looked more comfortable in his sleep. 

That was good, he thought again as he leaned down to him. 

And brought his lips to his. 

**_1230H, seven days later_ **

After that bad accident that stranded them in the balcony and then the hidden room, Ignis had thought that neither of them would be itching to get back up there any time soon. But then that morning, Gladio had called him and asked him to meet him there. 

So Ignis went, keeping him on the phone the entire way. “You’re certain I shouldnʼt have come with an entire kitchen?” 

“You wanna camp out here?” Gladio laughed, his spirit a far cry from how he left the scene one week ago. He heard him in his ear and from a distance. “Ignis!” 

And like magic, there he was indeed, waving at him in the lawn, a black bag dangling around the wrist with the phone. Ignis waved back to him and ended the call as he approached. The sound of a chainsaw started then. 

He looked up just in time to see someone on a step ladder running the spinning blades over the branches of the aged tree, nearly causing Ignis to stop. In fact, all around them… 

There were uniformed men, mixing cement, preparing heavy machines for heavy drilling… 

“Kingʼs orders,” Gladio explained when Ignis came to stand next to him. “To prevent any more accidents, he said.” 

“One wonders why they couldnʼt have done this sooner,” Ignis remarked, inspecting the progress. “Is this a goodbye, then?” 

“To our little hideout?” Gladio snorted, smiling at his astute observation. “Obviously. I mean, if they chopped down the tree, destroyed the balcony and sealed off the room, thereʼs just a wall there, you know?” He turned to Ignis, then. 

“Oh, you mean why weʼre here,” he realized suddenly. Ignis didnʼt hide his bemused smirk as he cocked his brow at him. After clearing his throat, Gladio handed him the bag. “Here.” 

Ignis looked on with intrigue before he accepted it. “Whatʼs this?” 

And gaped at the stylish box with an image of its content printed on the top. “You bought me a new phone?” he almost cried, whipping to his friend with eyes large enough to fill his cheeks. 

“Yeah,” Gladio said, slipping his hands in his pockets. “Look, what happened to us last week probably wonʼt happen again but we canʼt be too complacent. ‘cause thatʼs exactly why we got stuck up there, yʼknow? If youʼd had a working phone, then, we would have gotten off sooner.” He nodded to his gift. “So thatʼs why I bought one for ya. Now you donʼt need to find the time to get a new one.” 

“Gladio, this is too much,” Ignis told him, inspecting the slick packaging in his hand. It was one of the latest models, not in his list of options because of how expensive it was. 

He tossed it back in its bag and handed it back to Gladio. “I canʼt accept this.” Gladio stepped back, refusing the return. “I mean it, I wonʼt!” 

Gladio gestured to it. “Itʼs just a phone—” 

“Iʼm allergic to lies,” Ignis explained. 

Right off the bat, Gladio knew what he was referring to. One second, he was staring at Ignis with wide eyes. The next, he was looking away and rubbing his nape. 

Caught him. “I know all about it, Gladio.” 

Gladio hazarded him a glance, then with a sigh, loosened up his shoulders while he tossed his hands and stepped closer. “Let me explain—” 

“Of course I know why you did it, Gladio,” Ignis interjected. Gladio stopped his approach, then. “Iʼve known since the hospital. And…after I resolved my hurt, after I stopped blaming myself for putting you in that position to lie to me, I came to accept that if I were to accept _you_ , as a friend, then I must accept this nature of yours, as well.” 

Gladio smiled at his conclusion, though despite its bright look, it still looked cautious. He was waiting for him. 

Always waiting for him. “But if I were to accept this present,” he raised the bag again, “then I have a condition.” 

“Which is?” Gladio prompted him, crossing his arms. 

“You will not lie to me again,” Ignis stated. “And you will let me take care of you, as well.” He approached him. “If we mean to stay friends, then we must not be unfair to each other. Do you understand?” 

Gladio exhaled. He moved his hand. “Okay, but Ignis—” He was going to explain himself again. 

“If you get hurt,” Ignis interjected, “and it is because you put me in a position that put you there, it hurts me, as well. More than you know,” he explained, then shook his head. “I never want our sacrifices to be one-way again. Even if it makes us happy to suffer so much for the other person, wouldnʼt you think itʼs unfair to the one who hurts?” 

Gladio replied only silence. 

Later on, he revealed that it was because silence was all he had as he scratched his head, looking like a boy whoʼd just run away to play and come home dirty. 

“Okay,” the smart man relented eventually. “I wonʼt do that again next time. Sorry.” The last word winced. 

Whatever that said about him, it made Ignis smile, happily. “Iʼm sorry, too. And thank you, again, for what you suffered through for me.” If he meant to move on from that night, then he better be a smarter version of himself, too. And that included accepting the fact that while Gladioʼs selflessness had hurt him more, he also benefited from it. 

He looked into the bag and pulled out the box to study it once more. “Does this have an FM Radio in it?” 

“Uh—” Gladio shrugged. “Dunno. Didnʼt really check that part of the specs.” Because he knew he didnʼt listen to music. 

Until now. “Do…you wanna find out?” He seemed cautious about offering. Breaching the distance. 

Well, if he would not come to Ignis, then let Ignis come to him. With a little smile, Ignis nodded. “Perhaps you can show me over coffee.”

**Author's Note:**

> so part of the inspiration of this fic (the other part is another fic i did lmao) was this song i heard in the medical k-drama _hospital playlist_ entitled _[i knew i love](https://youtu.be/rOCymN-Rwiw)_ , covered by jeon mi do (joan mead in this fic lol), and i adored it so much that i wanted to make it a gladnis song XDDD i hope it's obvious but i really enjoyed writing this fic and i hope you guys enjoyed it as much! thanks for reading and keep safe! 💕💕💕


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